Maoist leader admits 2011 murder of Catholic nun in India

October 13, 2014

A Maoist leader in India has admitted that his group killed a Catholic religious in November 2011.

Sister Valsa John was brutally murdered by men who arrived at her residence at midnight, beat her, hacked her with axes, and finally shot her. At first executives of local mining companies were suspected on involvement in the killing, since Sister John had sometimes clashed with coal-mining companies in her efforts to defend the rights of workers. But a Maoist spokesman at the time told the BBC that his group had planned the killing.

Now Sukhlal Murmu, a local Maoist leader who was arrested last month, has confirmed that his group carried out the murder. Reversing the early explanation of a motive, he said that Sister John had been killed because she was working cooperatively with the mining companies, interfering with the more radical campaigns of Maoist organizers.

 

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Further information:

• Maoists killed catholic nun, confesses arrested leader (UCANews)
• Indian nun brutally murdered; coal-mining interests suspected (CWN, 11/17/11)